


Downtime

by Leni



Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Gen, Sidekicks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-05
Updated: 2013-04-05
Packaged: 2017-12-07 12:17:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/748411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens behind the scenes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Downtime

**Author's Note:**

> Written at Comment Fic. Prompt: [Gabrielle + Joxer + Iolaus, sidekick shenanigans](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/418862.html?thread=67795758)

Gabrielle raised her third tankard with a smug smile. "To us."

The two men flanking her at the table eyed their own drinks - Iolaus' second and Joxer's first, both still full - and then at the grinning blonde. When Gabrielle's good humor wavered as she realized their hesitation, both of them rushed to bump their tankards against hers. 

"To us."

"To the best warrior helpers in the known world!" Joxer cried out a little too happily.

Iolaus raised an eyebrow.

Gabrielle sank back in her chair and dropped her forehead against the table. "We suck," she mumbled to her lap.

Joxer looked across the table in bewilderment . "What?" he mouthed at Iolaus.

This time, Iolaus rolled his eyes. "We don't suck," he said aloud, turning in his chair so he could reach Gabrielle's shoulder for a comforting pat. "We're..." He tried to remember Hercules' phrasing when his best friend had stuck Iolaus here with Xena's tag-alongs before the both of them headed out to clean out another mess started by an Olympian. Ah, yes. "We are too valuable to risk."

Joxer perked up. "Really?"

Gabrielle groaned. She also understood it was code for 'why would I need you when I have a real hero in town?'

Next time he heard rumors that the Warrior Princess was around, he'd cajole and, if necessary, guilt his big friend into staying out of the woman's path.

There was no place for sidekicks when Hercules and Xena fought together. 

Meanwhile, the so-called Mighty Hero was still beaming. "I'm valuable!"

Not for the first time, Iolaus wondered how Joxer had survived this long - perhaps he'd snagged a powerful luck charm among all that paraphernalia he carried about? He managed a smile, though. "From the hero's mouth himself."

Gabrielle just groaned louder. "Xena said the same thing."

"Nobody said it to me," Joxer mused aloud, his smile fading as he considered that. Both Iolaus and Gabrielle turned to him, a word of reassurance at the tip of their tongues, but they were beat by Joxer's optimism. He clanked his drink on the table and pulled up to his feet, spine straight and head held high. "You know what valuable heros do?"

"That's not -" Iloaus started, but Gabrielle elbowed him.

"Keep going," she told Joxer, a mischievous light in her eye. "Fight local bandits? Rogue soldiers? An angry cyclop needing a lesson?"

Whoa. When had Xena's little companion become this bloodthirsty? But now that she mentioned it... It was difficult to threaten someone from a sitting position, but he'd been taking pointers from the best. "If you know something, you better tell us."

Joxer shuffled his feet. "Uh." 

Was the man blushing?

Gabrielle deflated. "Some kid lost his puppy, right?"

Joxer's thumbs twirled around each other. "A kitten, he said."

Gabrielle took a deep breath, counted down from ten, and then shrugged. "Know what? I'll take that."

Not having anything better to do, Iolaus nodded his agreement and followed the other two out of the tavern.

Late that evening, he woke up to Hercules's worried eyes as he studied the deep scratch along his forearm and shoulder. Hopefully he wouldn't realize how close to the throat those claws had come; Hercules always worried too much about things like that.

"Joxer's leg doesn't look half that bad," his friend said. "Gabrielle says thank you for saving her from the wild lion."

"'s okay," Iolaus said sleepily.

Hercules' frown deepened. "A _wild lion_ , Iolaus."

Perhaps it would make a fine story if he started it from the beginning, but frankly? He still couldn't believe it himself. "Lioness," he corrected, then winced as he tried a shrug. "Kitten had a mama."

 

The End  
04/04/13


End file.
